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Figure 1. Distribution of the Black-chinned Hummingbird.

Breeding range of U.S. and Canadian populations of Black-chinned Hummingbirds (individuals larger in size), the winter range of these same populations, the distribution of a southern population (basically resident) whose members are smaller in size (see Systematics), and winter occurrences of both along the U.S. Gulf Coast.

Black-chinned Hummingbird, male; Portal, AZ

Black-chinned Hummingbird, female; Portal, AZ

; photographer Brian E. Small

The Black-chinned Hummingbird is found from southern British Columbia throughout most of the western United States and much of central and northern Mexico (Figure 1). Occurring from below sea level to elevations above 2,500 m, the species inhabits a variety of habitats ranging from lush urban settings to xeric desert washes, the latter being more typical of the habitat occupied by Costa's Hummingbird (Calypte costae). As a breeding species, it is most abundant in southern segments of its range, particularly in riparian habitats of southern Arizona and southern New Mexico, where linear stretches often support nests spaced approximately every 100 m.

There are few superlatives to describe the Black-chinned Hummingbird, as it is not the smallest or largest of North American hummingbirds, not the most colorful, nor is it the only species to occur within a region. The species is not special in the sense of having a limited and narrow distribution and there is little if anything unusual about its habitat requirements. The Black-chinned Hummingbird is most noteworthy for being rather generalized, occurring in a variety of settings, and for its abundance; these characters result in the species being of particular interest to research and conservation efforts.

Virtually everything that is known about the Black-chinned Hummingbird has come from studies of the species in the United States. Information on a population of smaller individuals confined primarily to Mexico (see Systematics: geographic variation, below) is practically nonexistent. Separation of female-plumaged Black-chinned from Ruby-throated (Archilochus colubris) hummingbirds has traditionally been upon the basis of measurements, but measurements of the southern population of the Black-chinned Hummingbird overlap entirely with those of the Ruby-throated (see Systematics, below).

Banding studies in southern Arizona have shown that thousands of Black-chinned Hummingbirds migrate through this area annually, many individuals following the same migration path as in previous years, and that many survive for longer periods than once thought. The species is highly adaptable, occupying urban residential areas and new habitats created after extensive alterations, and is readily attracted to feeders.